The Institute was founded in 1946 as a structural unit of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. A present the Institute is acting on the basis of its Statutes as an independent non-profit research organization associated with the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Since 1993 Latvia’s Women Research and Information Centre is functioning with the Institute.
Main areas of research are:
- Development of a model for national economy: evaluation of the role of the state property, establishing the proportions between the state and private properties, development of rational national economy proportions, evaluation and studies of international relations.
Motivation of the development of entrepreneurial activities in Latvia: assessment of the economic situation of enterprises and working out measures to improve it.
- Promotion of agricultural development: motivation of trends of development of the agro- industrial complex and of the branch structure; dealing with problems of co- operation and agro-industrial integration, management of privatization processes in the countryside.
Strategy of the national and local government budgets; elaboration of a system for local government financial resource formation and levelling.
- Development of the national social and demographic policy: monitoring of conditions for reproduction of population and improvement of its quality.
- Conducting of sociological studies regarding the attitude of women towards the family, work, education, and health matters.
A library is growing at the Institute, comprising literature obtained as a result of international co-operation as well as home editions on economic issues, statistical information and scientific publications of the Institute.
The Institute participates in the exchange of information organized and led by the International Centre of Economic Growth (ICEG), and within this framework receives scientific literature, periodicals and express information on the reform processes in Eastern Europe and other countries of the world.